Arbroath boss faces selection puzzle as Raith Rovers come calling

Raith boss Barry Smith insists he wants his players to repeat what they achieved against Arbroath earlier in the season and snuff out the attacking threat the Red Lichties possess.

Rovers ended the Angus side’s long unbeaten away record when the teams met at Stark’s Park in October, keeping a clean sheet while netting twice themselves through Lewis Vaughan and Jason Thomson.

Now, Smith is looking for more of the same with his side eight points behind league leaders Ayr, although they have two games in hand following the postponement of last Saturday’s game against Albion Rovers because of a frozen pitch.

Smith said: “It was frustrating last week with the game being called off.

“The pitch was actually fine but the touchlines were the problem. If we had been able to leave it for another hour, the game probably would have gone ahead but it wasn’t to be.

“We just have to deal with it and move on with the boys raring to go again against Arbroath. That is our full focus.

“They possess a lot of attacking threats in their team but we handled that the last time we played them at Stark’s Park and we will look to do so again.

“We have a great defensive record this season but are also dangerous in attack.

“So we will go to Gayfield determined to play the way we are capable of.

“Arbroath are a good team but we just have to make sure we do what we need to beat them.

“Our focus is just on ourselves and what we need to do to keep winning games.”

Raith will be without the injured Kyle Benedictus, John Herron and Kevin McHattie.